Rotary engine.



Nn.. 669,360. Patented Mar. 5, I90l. F. G. BATES.

ROTARY ENGINE (Application filed May 28, 1900.1 No Model.) 2 Sheeta$heat h.

HIS PETERS CO, FNOTQ-LITO..YWKSHINGTON II C No. 669.360. Paten ted -Mar.' 5, l90l.

F. a; BATES. Y

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 28, 1900.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIE'.

FRANCIS G. BATES, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,360, dated March 5, 1901.

Application filed May 28, 1900. fierial No. 18,260. (No model- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS G. BATES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of improvements in the rotary engine for which I obtained Letters Patent of the United States No. 617,072, dated January 3, 1899, the object of my present improvements being to provide simple and efiective means for controlling the flow of motive fluid to the engine, its passage therethrough, and its exhaust therefrom, and to provide for the quick reversal of the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the valve-chest portion of the same. Fig. 3 isa sectional plan view on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line b b, Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are transverse sec tions,respectively,on the lines o c, d d, e e,and

ff, Fig. 4; and Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are views corresponding, respectively, to Figs.5,6,7,and S, but showing the valve in the reversed position.

The engine has two cylinders of difierent width or cross-sectional area corresponding to the diameter of the two follower-chambers 1 and 2, so that one serves-as the high-pressure cylinder and the other as the low-pressure cylinder of a compound engine, each of these cylinders having an eccentric piston- 3, which pistons are so set upon the shaft 4 that the piston in the low-pressure cylinder is adapted to be acted upon by the motive fluid exhausted from the high-pressure cylinder. In this respect the present engine resembles that of my former patent.

Communication between the pressure and exhaust sides of the piston in each cylinder is prevented by means of a shoe 5, which is in contact with the periphery of the rolling ring mounted upon the eccentric body of the piston and is pivoted to a sliding follower 6, which fits snugly in its proper follower-chamher, said chambers being formed in a casing 7, mounted upon the top of the cylinder structure of the engine, each follower being acted upon by a coiled spring 8, which tends to maintain the shoe 5 constantly in contact with the periphery of the piston. A vent, such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be used. to prevent compression of the air in the upper portion of each follower-chamber and the consequent uneven pressure of the shoe upon the periphery of the piston-ring.

Each shoe 5 is recessed so as to form opposite chambers 9 and 10, communicating, respectively,with the pressure and exhaust sides of the piston 'in the corresponding cylinder, and each follower 6 has chambers 11 and 12, which communicate, respectively, with the chambers 9 and 10 of the shoe, the segmental back of said shoe fitting snugly in asegmental recess or seat at the lower end of the follower, so that there can be no passage of motive fluid from the chamber 9 to the chamber 10 of the shoe through the joint between said shoe and the follower.

The chambers 11 and 12 of each of the followers 6 are in communication through ports 13 and 14, respectively, with passages 15 and 16, formed at the opposite sides of the casing 7, each of these passages being enlarged at the upper end, so as to cover longitudinally the space occupied by a group of ports in a valve 17, which is contained in a longitudinal chamber of the casing 7, said chamber being common to the passages 15 and 16 of both of the follower-chambers, the passages 15 and 16 of the follower-chamber of the highpressure cylinder covering a space containing ports 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the valve and the passages 15 and 16 of the follower-chamber of the low-pressure cylinder covering a space containing ports 22, 23, 24, and 25 of the valve. The ports 18, 19, 20, and 21 maytherefore be termed the high-pressure group and the ports 22,- 23, 24, and 25 the lowpressure group. The ports 18 22 are in one side of the valve and the ports 20 24 in the opposite side of the same, the ports 19 and 23 being likewise disposed oppositely to the ports 21 and 25 and said ports 19, 21, 23, and 25 being at an angle of ninety degrees or onequarter turn of the valve removed from the ports 18, 20, 22, and 24.

The valve has transverse .partitions 26 and 27, the partition 26 preventing any communication between the ports 18 and 19 of the valve and the ports 20 and 21 of the same,

and the partition 27 preventing any communication between the ports 22 and 23 and the ports 24 and 25, and the valve also has a pivoted and swinging central valve or partition 28, which permits flow of motive fluid from the portion of the valve containing the high-pressure ports to that containing the low-pressure ports, but prevents any bankflow.

At one end of the casing 7 is a chest 29, which receives the motive fluid under pressure, this chest having a valve 30, controlling a port 31, which is in communication with the chamber containing the valve 17, said valve 30 being connected to any suitable form of governor-controlled valve-operating device, whereby it may be moved so as to open and close the port 31 and permit of the flow of motive fluid therethrough for any desired portion of the stroke of the piston in the high-' pressure cylinder.

The chamber containing the valve 17 communicates at one end with the exhaust-pipe 32, and the corresponding end of the valve 17 has a port 33.

Supposing that the valve 17 is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, t, 5, 6, 7, and 8, motive fluid enters the first compartment of said valve through the port 18 and passes through the port 19 into the passage 15 of the follower chamber 1 of the high pressure cylinder, passing thence through the port 13 and chamber 11 of the follower and through the chamber 9 of the shoe into the right-hand side of said cylinder, motive fluid being exhausted from the left-hand side of the cylinder through the chamber 10 of the shoe and chamber 12 and port 14 of the follower into the passage 16 of the high-pressu re follower-chamber, and thence through the port 21 of the valve 17, past the central swinging partition 28 of the same and through the port 23 into the passage 15 of the lo w-p ressure follower-chamber, and thence through the ports and passages of the follower and shoe into the right-hand side of the low-pressure cylinder, the left-hand or exhaust side of the latter discharging through the ports and passages of the follower and shoe into the passage 16 of the low-pressure f0llower-cham her and from the latter through the ports and 33 of the valve 17 into the exhaust-pipe 32. When the valve is thus adjusted, the ports 20, 22, and 24 are out of action; but when it is desired to reverse the en- 'gine a quarter-turn in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 is imparted to the valve 17, which has the effect of moving the ports 21, 23, and 25 out of action and bringing the ports 20, 22, and 24 into action, as shown in Figs. 9,10, 11, and 12, the port 19 being then in communication with the motive-fluid-supply chamber, the port 18 in communication with the passage 16 of the high-pressure follower-chamber, the port 20 in communication with the passage 15 of the same, the port 22 in communication with the passage 16 of the low-pressure follower-chamber, and the port 24 in communication with the passage 15 of the same, so that the high-pressure motive fluid will be directed to the left-hand side of the high-pressure cylinder and the motive fluid exhausted from the right-hand side of the latter will be directed t-othe left-hand side of the low-pressure cylinder, the motive fluid exhausted from the right-hand side of the latter being directed to the exhaust. The direction of flow of motive fluid to and from each cylinder is thus controlled by a single valve and is governed by the manipulation of a single lever.

When the engine is running in either direction, the valve 17 may also, if desired, be used as a throttle-valve by moving the saine so as to increase or diminish the extent to which its ports overlap the passages with which they communicate.

My invention may be applied to an engine having but a single cylinder, the valve 17 in such case having but a single group of ports, or, on the other hand, the engine may have more than two cylinders, the groups of ports in the valve being correspondingly increased, and although I have shown the .valve 17 as a single integral structure contained in a single chest I do not wish the term single valve as employed-by me herein to be limited to such construction, but to cover a valve made in sections, each in its own chest, so long as said sections are connected so as to be operated as aunit by a single lever.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination in a compound rotary engine, of a series of cylinders each containing a piston, a single directing-valve, ports and passages whereby said single valve controls the flow of motive fluid to the first cylinder, the passage of motive fluid from cylinder to cylinder, and the exhaust of motive fluid from the last cylinder, and whereby the direction of flow of the motive fluid is reversed by a partial movement of said valve, and a cut-off valve through which the motive fluid flows before reaching the directing-valve, substaniially as specified.

2. The combination of the controlling and reversing valve having a group of ports comprising two pairs of ports, the ports of each pair being opposite each other, and those of one pair at an angle to those of the other pair, with a valve-casing having two passages each of a width sufficient to embrace said group of ports, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the valve having two groups of ports, and a swinging partition or valve whereby flow of motive fluid through said valve from one group of ports to the other in one direction is permitted, but backflow is prevented, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a rotary engine, of a cylinder with eccentric piston therein, a follower having a shoe bearing on said piston, a follower-casing having inlet and exhaust .the follower so as to prevent communication between the chambers of the follower and shoe, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my r 5 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS G. BATES,

Witnesses:

F. E. BEOHTOLD, J 0s. H. KLEIN. 

